Family, community and maternal–child health
Family
Nuclear and joint or extended families; functions are reproduction, protection, economic support, socialisation, emotional support and health care. The small family norm helps maternal and child health and stretches family resources. Family health depends on safe water, sanitation, nutrition, immunisation and timely health-seeking.
Maternal care
Antenatal: at least four check-ups, weight and blood pressure, haemoglobin, urine sugar and albumin, iron–folic acid and calcium tablets, tetanus toxoid immunisation and advice on danger signs. Danger signs - bleeding, severe headache with blurred vision, swelling of hands and face, high fever, reduced fetal movement - mean hospital care at once. Institutional delivery with a skilled birth attendant is safest.
Newborn and child care
Colostrum, the thick yellow first milk, is rich in antibodies and must be given, never discarded. Exclusive breastfeeding for six months with no water, then complementary feeding with breastfeeding continued to two years. Growth monitoring on the weight chart, ORS for diarrhoea, vitamin A doses and deworming.
Immunisation (India)
BCG, oral polio and hepatitis B at birth; pentavalent and polio at 6, 10 and 14 weeks; measles–rubella at 9 months; boosters later; tetanus toxoid for pregnant women.
Community support
ASHA workers, anganwadi centres under ICDS for nutrition and preschool care, and village health and sanitation committees.
Worked example
A mother discards the first yellow milk and gives honey to her newborn. Both are wrong: colostrum carries protective antibodies and should be the first feed, and honey or water in the first six months risks infection and reduces breastfeeds.
Marks-losing traps
Measles–rubella is given at 9 months, not at birth; a breastfed baby under six months needs no extra water even in summer; iron–folic acid tablets are continued through pregnancy.